Match lighter



Aug. 7, 1951 B. R. LEWIS ETAL MATCH LIGHTER Filed Dec. 5, 1949 INVENTORS B'URDETTE R. LEWIS W y JOHN L.SLOGEM ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, 1951 MATCH LIGHTER Burdette R. Lewis and John L. Slocum, Rochester, Mich.

Application December 5, 1949, Serial No. 131,190

Claims.

The present invention relates to a match lighter.

Difiiculty has been encountered in the past in igniting oil or other fuel, in pot type burners. This often is accomplished by dropping a lighted and wadded up newspaper into the bottom of the burner, which while partially effective has the disadvantage that it leaves partially burned papers and ashes in the burner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple inexpensive device adapted to accommodate a match adjacent the bottom of the burner and to hold the match in position to ignite the fuel therein.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a match igniter comprising a vertically elongated guide, a striker element at the bottom of the guide, and a weighted slide movable vertically along the guide having means thereon for supporting a match with its head in position to engage the striker element when the slide approaches the bottom of the guide.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the igniter.

Figure 2 is a perspective View illustrating the detailed construction of the striker element and slide.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 1.

Referring now to the figures the construction comprises an elongated guide [0 which may conveniently be formed of wire and which has its upper end laterally bent as indicated at 12 to provide a hooked handle portion by means of which the assembly may be held or by means of which it may be suspended from a hook or the like when not in use.

At the bottom of the guide H] is a striker element I4 which is here illustrated as of conical shape having an inclined striking surface [6. This surface is roughened in any suitable way, the roughness being illustrated in the figures as provided by the plurality of V-grooves which leave sharp edges in the conical surface of the striker element. The lower end of the guide ll! is received within an aperture in the striker element and retained therein by any suitable means.

A slide 2!] is provided which -is of substantial mass and which has a longitudinally extending opening 22 therethrough by means of which the slide is slidable along the guide. At one side the slide 20 is provided with a match receiving recess 24, this recess being closed at its upper end 2 as indicated at 26 to form a seat against which the upper end of the match M engages.

Means are provided for retaining the match M in position and this means is herein illustrated as comprising a split spring ring 28 received within a suitable circumferentiall y extending groove.

In order to facilitate introduction and removal of matches in the recess 24, the upper portion of the slide 20 is reduced to provide a circumferential groove as indicated at 30 thereby exposing an intermediate portion of the match M to be gripped by the fingers of the user.

In use the match is mounted in the slide as indicated with its head extending downwardly. The slide 20 is retained adjacent the upper end of the guide I 0. The assembly is then introduced into the burner to position the striker element I 1 adjacent the bottom, or in many cases the flat bottom of the striker element It may rest upon the bottom of the burner. The operator then releases the slide 20 and it falls by gravity along the guide In until the match head strikes the striker element M. This ignites the match and as indicated in Figure 1, a substantial portion of the match extends below the lower end of the slide so that the match will burn for a considerable interval. After the fuel has been ignited the striker assembly is removed.

The drawing and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved match lighter in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A match lighter comprising a Wire guide, a rigid conical striker element rigidly secured to the lower end of said guide coaxially thereof with the small end of said element uppermost, a slide comprising an elongated body of substantial mass having an opening extending longitudinally therethrough through which said guide extends, said slide being freely slidable on said guide, a recess in the side of said slide extending upwardly from the lower end of said'slide and closed at its upper end for the reception of a match, resilient means overlying the side of said recess to retain a match therein, and a groove extending transversely of and intersecting said recess, the bottom of said groove being disposed inwardly of the bottom of said recess to permit ready removal of the unburned portion of a match from said recess.

2. A match lighter comprising a rigid striker element of conical shape having a roughened surface, a vertical guide extending upwardly from the axis of said striker element, a slide on said guide, said slide having a vertical recess in its side for receiving a match, a spring overlying said recess, and a groove extending transversely of and intersecting said recess, the bottom of said groove being disposed inwardly of the bottom of said recess to permit ready removal of the unburned portion of the match from said recess.

7 3. A match lighter comprising a rigid striker element of conical shape having a roughened surface, a vertical guide extending upwardly from the axis of said striker element, a slide on said guide, said slide comprising an elongated generally cylindrical weight having a central axially extending opening receiving said guide, a vertical match receiving recess extending upwardly from the lower end of said slide,

a spring overlying said recess, and a groove extending transversely of and intersecting said recess, the bottom of said groove being disposed inwardly of the bottom of said recess to permit ready removal of the unburned portion of the match from said recess.

4. In a match lighter, a slide comprising an elongated body having a match receiving recess extending from one end thereof along a side 4 of the body, a spring overlying said recess, and a groove extending transversely of and intersecting said recess, the bottom of said groove being disposed inwardly of the bottom of said recess to permit ready removal of the unburned portion of-the match from said recess.

5, Structure as defined in claim 4 comprising in addition a seat in said body in alignment with said recess to receive the end of a match received in the recess.

BURDETTE R. LEWIS. JOHN L. SLOCUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 75,529 Cole Mar. 17, 1868 148,983 Pray Mar. 24, 1874 1,766,295 Iizuka June 24, 1930 2,320,825 Little June 1, 1943 2,510,854 Bell June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 65 Great Britain 1865 

